NinjaGo - Cannibal AU
by Eris Raslad
Summary: Zane is a test subject in a government lab, and the other four ninja are scientists assigned to do experiments on this strange robot/human mix. Based on an AU by Kerinfrim on Tumblr.
1. Prologue

Zane

I could hear them speaking...

Hushed voices that clawed hungrily at my consciousness...rousing me from my blessed slumber.

"He shouldn't be physically possible..." I heard one vice say, it being extremely ecstatic, joyous. "This is so cool guys..."

I sat up, only to find that my accommodations were not tall enough for my sitting form; my head hit the roof of my containment cell with a dull clang.

"O-ow..." I murmured, rubbing the sore spot that had formed. "F..father...?" I called. "Where is...father...?"

The hushed talking stopped, and footsteps could be heard approaching quickly.

"Don't worry about your father..." One said, one with a scar over his left eye and reddish, spiky hair. "He is perfectly fine, settled in a room at the opposite of the facility..."

I approached the spiky-haired man, only to connect with solid steel bars. I gripped them, starting to become afraid.

"Let me see him." I requested. "Let me out of here!"

The ecstatic sounding one started to panic. "Oh man, oh man! He's starting to get mad. What do we do? What do we do!?"

"Shut up!" Said another voice, a low one, decidedly more mature than the others. This one had black hair. "It will be fine. Those bars are virtually indestructible-"

He ate his words when I began to pry them apart, attempting to crawl out of my cell.

"Shit!" Cole yelled. "Kai shoot him! Shoot him!"

The red-haired man raised an arm, aiming a gun-like device at my head and pulling the trigger.

My brain buzzed violently on contact, and I convulsed with the sensation. It had to be some sort of neural taser.

"Don't worry guys. I got him." He said.

And soon everything went dark.


	2. Chapter 1

Zane

Everything was black...my vision hazy...

And my head was splitting with a violent pain.

I couldn't remember anything...and yet...

I had a feeling something was wrong.

I tried to sit upright but only to his my head on the ceiling above me.

_Oh that's what's wrong..._

_I'm still in a cage._

"Oh good." Came a slightly aged, intelligent voice from in front of me. "You're awake!" A man in a wheelchair rolled into my line of sight, wearing a grey peacoat and a pair of thick glasses. "I thought you would never become conscious."

I raised my hands, trying to grasp the bars before me only to find they were bound heavily with chains.

"Oh son you shouldn't have tried to attack my observers..." He mused aloud. "They were afraid and had to bind you up. So sad..."

I grimaced, as the chains were tight and painful against my skin. "I...I just want my father..." I told him.

The man chuckled. "Don't worry, Zane." He reassured, though I wasn't as such. "Your father is fine."

I frowned. "I...I want to see..."

The man in the wheelchair frowned. "I'm so sorry, Zane. But he can't see you quite yet..." Then smiled again. "But you can call me Cyrus, or Mr. Borg. I can be your father away from father until the time you reunite."

I bowed my head, a few tears leaking from the corners of my eyes. "I..."

The man rolled closer to the bars. "What do you need, Zane?" He asked gently, seeming like he was genuinely concerned.

I glanced at him, studying his face. "I'm...I'm hungry..." I managed to say.

He clapped. "Oh that's a simple fix!" He exclaimed happily, turning away from me. "PIXAL? Could you please get our guest something to eat?"

A woman entered the room, or at least came into view, with a body made entirely of silver with startling green eyes, dressed in a dark violet and pewter gi. Her hair was done up in a spiky bun atop her head...

_She's so beautiful..._ I unconsciously thought.

She offered me a steely glance and a mute, unfeeling smile. "Yes, Mr. Borg." She said monotonously, then leaving to retrieve that of which Cyrus had asked.

The wheelchaired man turned back to me. "You will be well taken care of here, Zane." He reassured. "When...when we feel we can trust you not to attack us...we will let you out of the cage."

I reluctantly nodded. "Yes...thank you Cyrus."

He smiled. "You're welcome."


	3. Chapter 2

PIXAL

I was not very happy...

Of course my feelings were merely emulations but...

This man in the cage was suddenly so much more important than I...

_Why?_

"Please go unchain our guest please." Cyrus asked me sweetly, offering his signature half smile. "Let him out of the cage too. He needs to stretch his legs I'm sure."

I bowed slightly out of respect for my father and my creator. "Yes, Mr. Borg."

"A-and PIXAL!" He called as I turned to leave, making me pause.

"Yes?" I asked.

"If he has questions tell him the truth...but...if he asks about Professor Julien be vague..."

I closed my eyes for a moment, reopening them a moment later to give my reply. "Yes, Mr. Borg."

I left for Zane's room, feeling bitter as soon as I set my eyes on his form, which was slumped to the floor of his cell.

I took a deep, unnecessary breath before my approach, using the signal Cyrus programmed me with to open the cage, then crawling in and setting to work on the chains.

The cyborg stirred as I worked, reminding me of his presence which I so hated.

What was so amazing about him? I was an extremely advanced machination, built to function exactly as a human did without the delicate biomaterial as my main component that humans contained.

And not only that, but the tech that had been integrated into his person was outdated and slow.

The chains were almost loose, finally, I really just wanted to leave so I didn't have to look at his face, but when I shifted to pry the last chain loose, I elbowed him lightly in the ribs, causing him to wake with a start.

He was clearly frightened by my presence, and he should have been, I was a superior being, but when his vision cleared itself of sleep he observed me explicitly.

"H-hello." He greeted. "You are Cyrus's assistant."

I sighed. "Yes. I am PIXAL, Primary Interactive Xternal Assistant Lifeform."

The human smiled sheepishly. "You are magnificent." He complimented sweetly, making me want to roll my eyes.

"You are still drunk from slumber, you should wake completely before spouting your ridiculous thoughts."

He sat upright, rubbing his freed wrists. "Yes, I apologize." He looked up at me as I left the cramped cage, quickly turning to leave.

"W-where am I?" He asked, stepping out onto the tile floor and collapsing, as he'd been stuck in there for at least three days.

"You are at Borg Industries. Today's most advanced technological monopoly." I answered mutely.

"Why am I here?" He said next, clearly full of questions.

I turned back to him. "You are here because my fath-" I paused. "Because Mr. Borg has been studying you from afar for a very long time, he finds you fascinating, as you are the only cyborg he has encountered that did not have severe health or physical ailments."

Zane bowed his head. "Studying me?" He queried. "What does he plan to do with me?"

I was growing impatient with this unremarkable waste of technology...

"He plans to run tests...to see if your bio-mechanical integrative hardware makes you more susceptible to illness and the like."

He stopped speaking for a moment, contemplating this. "Did my father say it was okay?" He finally spat out.

I sighed, bowing my head. "Your father consented completely."

"C-can I see him now?" He asked, in desperate need to return to his parental unit.

"No. You may only see him once tests are completed."

He paused again. "What if I don't want to do the tests?"

"Well..."

I haven't been told what would happen in that case.

"Then I suppose we would let you and your father go." I told him, not sure but assuming that that was right."

"I see." He replied. "Th-thank you for removing me from that." He looked back at the tiny cage. "It was starting to hurt."

"It is of no issue, just be sure not to startle our scientists next time you see them. That." I said, pointing to his previous cell. "Was your fault, and you will go back in should you act out."

He tenses noticeably, staring at me wide-eyed. "Y...yes ma'am." He stammered. "I won't cause you or Cyrus trouble."

"Good."

With that I took my leave.

X.X.X

_A.N. - Finally! A chapter more than 500 words! I'm pleased. XD Hope you guys are too, and I hope I answered some of your questions._


	4. Chapter 3

Cyrus

Oh it was just remarkable.

To have finally gotten my hands on Professor Julien's magnificent integrative technology...

Though there were many measures that I had to take to assure that he didn't "go missing".

That meant taking his family and keeping them here...

His father was the most unhappy about this whole situation, very angry that he was being held captive, even though we provided the most comfortable of cells for him.

It made me sad to think he was so dissatisfied with his care.

And Zane's sister...poor thing was blind as a bat...I couldn't just lock her away. I set her to work with me, not really secretary work, but she did help me file, I just had to accommodate my paperwork so she could tell different documents apart.

"M-Mr. Cyrus?" She asked, voice sounding oh so sad. "Can I please see my brother?" She nearly begged. "Please? I-I really want to just...hear his voice."

I frowned, glancing at her. "Now dear I thought you said you two were separated when you were very little."

She sniffled, nodding. "Yes. We were but...but we were very close."

I sighed. "My dear...I...I will take you to hear your brother speak. But I can't let you see him directly. The testing we're doing is rather...dangerous to someone who isn't the way he is."

She wiped one of her eyes, nodding slowly. "Okay. Just take me to him."

I took one of her hands in mine and lead her to the testing lab, rolling down numerous hallways until we found the proper room. This one was an observation room with a one way mirror, so that I may observe when my scientists performed tests on my greatest specimen.

"I'm going to turn the sound on for you." I told her. "So you can hear him interact with the others."

And this I did, he was in the middle of a test.

Chains rattled loudly, as he was braced down with them. "Wh-what are you going to do with me?" Zane asked my leading researcher, Cole Hence.

Cole held a large vial of something I'm his hands. I'm not exactly sure what it was, but it had to have been something I authorized.

"I'm going to inject you with this virus. Recently we have come up for a vaccine for it and the epidemic ceased. We are going to see if your support system is able to tolerate it on its own."

I sneaked a look at Elena's face and she looked absolutely horrified.

Zane sat up just a bit, rattling his bindings once again. "What type of virus is it?"

Cole tapped the vial and squeezed the plunger to remove any air. "We call it Virus V...but we are not inclined to tell you, because if we do you could start to express symptoms of the sickness even when you aren't sick. And that could lead to inaccurate study recordings."

"Will..." Zane began. "Will it hurt me?" He queried.

"It will burn just a little upon injection, just like a normal shot. But afterwards, sick or otherwise, it will not harm you physically."

Zane's nervous sigh could be heard over the speaker. "Okay." He finally agreed. "I trust you."

With that Cole injected the cyborg swiftly, getting his document ready for recording the proceeding events, and at first Zane didn't react at all, but then suddenly he grew tense, soon beginning to seize violently, emitting a deeply agonized grunt.

Elena started crying. "H-h-he said it wouldn't hurt him!" She cried, moving to the window and hitting it with her feeble arms.

I rolled up to her, reaching up and managing to grasp her shoulders and pull her away. She collapsed, falling to the floor hard; she pressed her forehead into the side of one of my legs, sobbing.

"This is one of the side effects of the virus." I told her, petting her hair reassuringly. "It will not hurt him in the slightest. That is not to say it doesn't cause some discomfort. It is different for all recipients."

The girl whimpered softly, looking up at me as best as she could. "You promise?" She asked, blinking back tears.

I smiled even though she could not see it, she was sure to hear it in my voice. "I promise dear. He will be perfectly fine."

She slowly but surely began to quiet down. "I...I don't believe you..." She said, standing and wiping her eyes. "I don't. But you've been nothing but nice to me since I got here so...so I guess I have no choice."

"I apologize for causing such worry." I said. "I just want you to be completely entrusting. Later I will let you speak with him. Is that alright?"

She looked down at me, smiling now. "Y-yes! I mean...that's fine...thank you."

"It is no trouble at all."

Soon Zane stopped seizing and fell asleep, I then sent Elena on her way.

When I was sure she was out of earshot I lifted my wristwatch to my mouth and spoke.

"PIXAL?" I called.

Through the static of my radio I heard her ask: "Yes?"

I paused. "Ms. Julien needs a memory wipe. Only of the past thirty minutes. And she needs it right away. She is questioning us."

PIXAL hummed. "Yes, Mr. Borg."

"Thank you, my dear."

She paused, keeping silent for a significant amount of time. "You're welcome, Mr. Borg."

X.X.X

_A.N. - Anyone remember Virus V? Well...I do. XD So I decided to make an AU/reference here. Happy reading!_


	5. Chapter 4

Zane

_I should not have trusted him..._

_I shouldn't have..._

My thoughts were interrupted by a severe fit of seizing once again, as since the drug had been administered to me that hadn't ceased, only decreased in their intensity.

And my stomach...

To put it lightly, it felt as if I was being stabbed, repeatedly, with a very very dull blade.

And of course the vomiting was the worst of it. Sometimes it would occur in the middle of one of my episodes and I would nearly drown. It was mostly blood after all.

When these awful symptoms finally decided to leave me I curled up in my provided cot and cried. I no longer wretched and I could function properly but the pain in my stomach was crippling.

I heard the door open and close and a young blonde male approached me.

"Are you Zane Julien?" He asked, sounding no older than the late teens.

I looked up at him with bleary eyes. "Y-y-yes-s..." I stammered, shivering mightily. Why was it so cold?

"Sweet. Okay." He peeked down at his clipboard frowning. "So they gave you the V injection?"

I nodded, sitting up and reaching for him. "S-s-something is wr-wrong." I said. "He s-said it wouldn't hurt me. I-I need-"

"What are your reactions to the injection?" He asked me, not even bothering to listen to what I needed to say.

"Please!" I exclaimed. "I-I need the vaccination. I th-think I'm dying!" I grabbed his arm firmly and he knocked me back.

"Are you going to answer my questions or not!?" He asked harshly, face set in anger.

I hit the ground hard, white sparks flashing behind my eyelids.

"Lloyd!" Shouted an unhappy voice. "What are you doing?"

"K-Kai?" The blonde stammered. "I-I was just getting the symptoms of-"

The red-haired man, supposedly named Kai, snatched the clipboard away from the younger one, scolding him. "By shoving him to the ground? Get out of here."

The blonde left like a puppy with his tail between his legs and Kai turned to me smiling sheepishly. "Sorry about him, he's new and-"

I clutched Kai's lab coat. "P-please...I'm...I can't..."

He held a cup out to me. "This should help your stomach." He said.

I took it, looking with pained eyes at the brownish-red liquid inside. I sniffed it. "It...smells like blood."

_And it smelled great-_

_Wait..._

_What am I thinking?_

"I know, but it will stop the pain. Trust me."

Cole had tried to get me to trust him too, but that was stupid of me.

"We can't have you puking up your organs, Zane. Just drink it or I'll have to make you."

I choked back a son feebly, reluctantly bringing the cup to my lips. It was bitter and tasted of iron, it was disgusting and yet it was quite strangely the best thing I'd tasted since arriving at this place.

And he was right! It did stop my stomach pains, my queasiness.

"And the seizures should stop soon too. We didn't expect such a strong strain of V to come to us."

I looked up at him, the gratefulness apparent in my eyes. "Thank you Kai! I exclaimed, leaping up and hugging him childishly. "Thank you."

He pushed me away lightly. "Whoa there big guy. Calm down."

I shrugged. "Sorry. You're just the nicest person here besides Cyrus."

"Yes well remember we aren't here to be your friends. We are under strict orders not to interact with you on an interpersonal level."

"Oh..."

"Well goodnight Mr. Julien." He concluded, folding some papers back properly over the clipboard. "We will do a follow-up with you in the morning."

He left, slamming the door hard behind him.

I didn't even get the chance to retort...

Or explain to him that the growling in my stomach was starting to come back.


	6. Chapter 5

PIXAL

_Why is it that I have to bathe the subject...? _I asked myself, mildly irritated. _Why couldn't one of the scientists do it?_

I toted Zane Julien in my arms, not struggling in the slightest, as I was a powerful droid and I was perfectly capable of carrying much more extensive measures of weight.

He was heavily drugged, estimated not to wake until I was finished with my task. I finally made it to the destination, a large white bathroom with all the necessities, pulling him in and setting him against the wall.

I turned my attentions to the tub, switching on the water and making sure it was an optimal temperature.

When the tub was full and steaming I added the soap, keeping out a bar for use later.

I returned to Zane, grudgingly undressing the man. It was embarrassing and indecent...doing this. Again why Cyrus chose me to do it was beyond all reason in my mind...but it had to be for the best.

When he was fully naked I lifted him, need I repeat, not bothered by his heft, and I set him in the tub. As I did so he let out a cry of pain, eyes opening wide. He tried to scramble out for a moment, but then he came face to face with me, stopping.

"PIXAL?" He asked, voice slightly slurred.

_He isn't supposed to be awake!_ I thought. _He was supposed to sleep for at least two hours with the drug dose he was given._

"Hello Zane." I greeted calmly. "What seems to be the issue?"

He looked down at his naked form, then the steaming water he stood in. "It is hot." He said plainly.

"Sit down." I ordered. "Professor Cyrus told me to bathe you and that is what I must do."

With a wince he complied, leaning his head back against the tub's edge.

"It's hot, PIXAL." He repeated.

"I am aware, Zane." I said sternly. "It is supposed to be hot so it will get you clean. Cold water leaves behind much dirt and microbial life, not to mention it will not effectively rinse soap."

He hummed, shifting in his discomfort and settling back further.

"Sit back up." I told him. "I need to wash your back." With that statement I reached for the sponge.

With a soft noise he obeyed, leaning forward and exposing his back. I soaked the absorbent object with the soapy water and set to scrubbing at his skin. It was slightly pink from the heat of the water and when I brushed the sponge over it he would tense a little and his muscles would noticeably flex beneath the surface. He was not that unattractive, in fact he was a very handsome man. He was built well biologically, already powerful in that sense but with the mechanical implants he was bound to be quite the creature.

_What am I thinking!?_ I shouted inwardly, face beginning to grow hot. _This is absurd, I shouldn't be thinking like this._

In my frustration I failed to notice as I moved from his back to his arms that I was scrubbing him too hard; he squirmed in response.

"It hurts PIXAL." He said, acting not unlike a child; the reasoning for this was quite possibly the drugs.

"I must use force or the dead cells of your skin will remain." I said sharply, continuing my assault with the sponge. "Dead cells are a breeding ground for bacteria..."

He tried to remain still, fists clenched beneath the foamy water, entire body taut, but he shook his head and very nearly crawled away, glancing at me with an expression that easily portrayed his pain.

"No." He said. "No more."

I rolled my optics. "Don't be ridiculous. Come back over here."

He blinked and a single, very small tear dripped lazily down his cheek. "No. You hurt me."

I frowned, crossing my arms. "Let me see."

He bowed his head, turning his back to me once more to reveal that he was right.

His back and bits of his shoulders were angry red, and a couple of patches were darker than the others...because they were bleeding.

"Oh goodness!" I cried, reaching for a towel to dab the damage with. "Zane I am so sorry, I didn't realize..." I said weakly. I'd never hurt anyone in my life, at least not on purpose. Not mindlessly like this.

He winced as the fibers of the towel stuck temporarily to his sticky wounds, shrugging his shoulders to brace himself.

"Zane I really am sorry." I reached into the tub and unplugged the bottom so the water could drain. "I'll run a fresh bath for you and get some bandages."

I stood to rush to the medical bay, aiming to get the gauze wrap but then I remembered that this room was stocked with all of those types of things. I went to the cabinet by the sink and lo-and-behold, there they were.

I snatched them and returned to Zane, replugging the drain and running the water.

"N-not so hot this time..." He requested weakly. "Please?"

With a light, single nod I obeyed, turning the temperature back down. As the tub began to fill to a proper volume I took the sponge, rinsing it in the clear water and gently cleaning the raw, bleeding skin.

"Y-you..." Zane began, straightening his back up, then hunching back down, possibly to crack it. I wasn't sure. It could have been another reaction to the pain I caused. "You are m-much nicer than...than the other scientists."

"Thank you." I replied mutely, feeling quite the opposite as of now.

He offered a soft groan, shying away subtly from my touch. "I-it is true. You are different..." He glanced back at me. "The scientists would have just let me bleed...or-or continued to scrub." He added.

"They are quite...sadistic..." I told him. "But they only leave you be in that sense to see your reactions to it." I came into eye contact with him, his startlingly crystalline blue eyes shining, not mechanically, but just with their own light; if I had a heart it may have nearly stopped. "You are a cyborg. The only cyborg that is know to exist and still be alive today, and to have been living for years and years as you have." I put the bloody sponge down, placing my now free hand on his shoulder. "You are a remarkable technological milestone, we want to know how you work."

He turned in the water, offering me his full attention. "I am a cyborg. I know this. But I am not remarkable. I am still human, and I still hurt just like any other human...my machinery does not make me any less like them." He bowed his head, shoulders shaking. It took me a moment to realize he was crying. "I-I just want to go back home...I j-j-just want my father and to g-go home..."

I leaned down to the pale, icy-eyed man, reaching under his arms and pulling him up in a hug, a hug which he was reluctant to return.

"I..." I began, thinking my generosity through. "I will take you to see Dr. Julien later..." I pulled back, running a hand over his short, astray hair, fixing it. "But it may take time. I have to be sure no one can see."

He wiped his cheeks with the back of his hand, smiling sweetly at me. His eyes were wet, making his multifaceted irises shine with even more depth and beauty. I shouldn't have been thinking about him like this. He was my father's experiment, not to be considered any more than any of the others, and yet I felt my chest tighten further and further into an imaginary knot as our presences remained joined.

"Th-thank you, PIXAL." He said in a soft voice, leaning in to me and resting his head on my chest. The injections Cyrus had ordered me to give him must've finally worn him down.

I sighed, laying my head on top of his. "You are welcome...but let me fix you now." I pulled back from him, desiring to do just the opposite. "When you are disinfected and bandaged I will take you back to your room and you can rest as long as you need to."


	7. Chapter 6

Zane

Apparently my hunger was starting to make me...violent...

I would get to the point that I would choke up blood and then I would black out for however long. And when I would wake again one of the scientists would be suffering from a bite mark somewhere and I would have blood dripping from my mouth onto my chest.

So PIXAL was here locking me within chains, not looking me in the eyes.

"P-PIXAL...?" I asked her, stomach growling violently, hurting me. "You...do you know what they injected me with?" I whimpered in protest to my agony. "S-specifically."

She closed her eyes tightly, shaking her head. "No...no Zane I don't know." She tipped my chin up so I would look at her, her face expression muted concern and sadness. "If I knew what ailed you I would have aided you much earlier."

She finished binding the thick chains around my wrists, linking them together and behind me so I couldn't grab anyone. "I am so sorry..."

I hunched over my knees, breath heaving even as I shouted loudly, expressing my pain to those who did not understand or those who did not care. "It hurts...it..."

"Th-there is nothing that I can do for you. I am sorry, Zane..."

I pulled against the chains, trying to brace my hands against something to maybe divert my attentions from the shredding agony in my abdomen but I could not, and I only cried louder when the pain grew even worse.

X.X.X

PIXAL

He strained against his bonds with a mighty strength that I did not expect him to have. He was not physically ill, in a sense, he merely needed to eat I suppose but what we gave him did not suit his needs.

The clanging of his chains plus the intensity of his wailing proved too much for me and I brought my hands to the sides of my head. I did not have ears, but it was merely a reflex that I prayed would block out the noise.

"Zane, please quiet yourself." I whispered, auditory sensors whining inside my head.

"PIXAL!" He shouted. "Make it stop! Please!?" And he only struggled further

"Please...please Zane...not so loud?"

He whimpered softly, pulling at the links even harder.

I could hear the metal straining to resist his power but to no avail, it creaked and popped loudly.

"Let me out!" He shouted, pleading at me with his ice blue eyes. "PIXAL I need a doctor!"

He hunched over again, retching blood and a thick black ichor onto the stone floor.

"Stop it." I begged, holding my head tighter, clenching my fists at its side. "Zane just stop!"

But he did not stop. Quite the opposite he got even louder, tears streaming quickly down his cheeks he sobbed and tried to break free. He needed help, I know. But I could not let him go.

I couldn't because...

Because...

I didn't know.

I didn't know why but I knew that if I did my father would punish me. It's not safe he would tell me and I never really understood.

I wanted nothing more than to help this agonized creature before me and my god the screaming...

I couldn't take the screaming anymore.

I took my hands from the sides of my head and raised one, forcing it toward the man in an attempt to strike him. It landed where I had planned but as soon as the blow landed I felt awful.

He just sat upright for a moment, staring blankly straight ahead, but then his eyes rolled up to where only the whites were visible and closed, he falling forward, the chains holding his body up, though he was slightly prostrate.

"Z...Zane...?" I asked, shakily crawling to him. "Zane?" I forced his shoulders back, lifting his head. He was unconscious and very very pale.

He did not look alive.

Of course when I checked his pulse he was registered as living, but my worries did not cease.

I slid forward, moving just so that I could cradle him against my chest where he would be comfortable.

"I'm sorry." I told his sleeping form, petting his hair, squeezing him. "I'm so so sorry..."

The door to the room opened then, and in the doorway sat none other than my father, Cyrus Borg.

"PIXAL..." He mused aloud, glasses reflecting the little bit of light in the room almost menacingly.

"D-daddy..." I whimpered pathetically. "H-he can't...he can't keep living like this. He needs medical attention."

Cyrus shook his head, sighing. "Dear PIXAL, he will be fine in due time. I hate for you to be so worried over nothing..."

I could not cry physically, I may or may not have stated this, but my optics stung painfully and my chest was right. "Father please..."

He lifted an arm to me. "Come with me, sweetheart." He requested. "You need some rest. Some time to calm down."

I glanced down at the unconscious figure in my arms, the figure who's breathing was erratic and ragged, then I looked back up at Cyrus, setting Zane back against the wall and walking to my master.

"Good girl." He said quietly. "Don't worry for him. There is nothing to fear."

But there was much more to fear than I probably realized...and I realized a little too late that I never should have listened to my father.


	8. Chapter 7

PIXAL

**_Initiating boot protocol..._**

**_Loading boot disk..._**

_When did I boot down?_ I thought as my body restarted, confused. _I don't recall shutting off._

I was able to open my eyes only when the low beeping accompanying the reboot process ceased, and when I opened my eyes I saw my inventor, Cyrus. He was smiling.

"Oh dear I thought you were never going to awaken." He said happily. "How are you feeling?"

I looked down at myself, assessing any part of me that may have been damaged. Very little can cause need for a reboot.

"Feeling?" I asked quietly, hugging myself. "Well I suppose I am alright..."

He chuckled sheepishly. "That's good. You were so worked up over Zane earlier that I had to shut you down. The emotional protocol was using up all of your RAM. So I had to mute the program."

I frowned, confused once more. "Zane...?" I asked. "Who is Zane?"

He stared back at me as if I'm shock, but something about his demeanor portrayed the opposite. "Oh you must not have been told his name. Patient V?"

Now that did sound familiar to me. "Yes, I think I am aware of him."

Cyrus nodded. "Well something had you very emotional and I was worried. So I set the protocol to only perform to a certain limit. Twenty-five percent. I hope this doesn't upset you."

I shook my head. "No sir. I would rather not get overworked by such trivial means anyhow. The protocol tends to make my energy drain more quickly, especially when it is running to full capacity." I smiled, unfeeling, not really caring. "Thank you, Mr. Borg."

"You are welcome, dear." He hummed. "N-now I hate to ask this of you right after reboot, but would it trouble you too much to feed our patient?" He adjusted his glasses , half-smiling weakly. "The virus we are testing him with makes him particularly ravenous and we only just now were shipped the means to sustain him."

"It is not an issue, father." I said. "I will do so right away."

"Thank you." He replied, gesturing with a hand. "His food is in the cooler on his floor. That cooler is on the opposite side of that level, so as not to be contaminated by anything the patient may have other than the virus."

I turned to leave and perform his task, but he stopped me.

"P-PIXAL?" He called.

"Yes sir?"

"Look at me."

I turned back to him, seeing his face now stern. "Make sure to grind and burn the bones when you are done."

I nodded to him. "Yes, Mr. Borg."


	9. Chapter 8

Zane

It had been weeks since I'd seen anything relatively close to a human being.

I was locked alone in that room, chained up tight, and there was a latch that opened on occasion, a couple of times a day if I was lucky, and in would slide some crudely chopped raw body parts, some appeared human, others were obviously not, but I was ravenous and quite frankly those scraps were the most appetizing bits of nourishment I'd ever ingested.

My hands were bound to the wall behind me, but I was bound loosely enough so that I could reach the prize that was given to me, and so I could consume it without appearing to be a complete monster, even though that was what I'd become.

But even though the hunger was what drove me, I so longed for interaction with another being, I so desired to feel the touch of someone other than myself. Just to see a face...to see another person would make me feel a little more human and less like an animal in a cage.

I sat cross legged before a tray of bones, picked nearly clean, only small bits of pink gristle stuck where the joints had once been whole, and tears welled in my eyes with a vengeance.

"Please..." I called into the darkness. "Please...someone help me..."

I choked out a loud sob, the room echoing it back to me as tears dripped lazily down my cheeks and from my nose and chin.

"I-I-I want to go h-home!" I shouted out in my emotional agony. "I want m-my father! I want out of this room!"

In quick succession proceeding my outbursts the door to my cell creaked open in loud protest, the light behind it so blinding that the figure in the doorway appeared to be only a shadow.

I gazed up at the figure, eyes pleading with it. "P-please..."

"It is time for your bath, Patient V."

It was PIXAL, and my heart immediately swelled at the sound of her voice.

"PIXAL! It's you!"

She approached me, kneeling and working away at my chains.

"I-I'm so relieved to see you..." I breathed weakly, watching as she worked. "How long have I been in here?"

She stayed quiet for a moment, not making eye contact. "It has been three months and eleven days." She told me, the chains clattering loudly to the floor.

"R-really?" I was in shock. It didn't feel like it had been that long but PIXAL was not one to lie. "Why?"

"Because we were uncertain of how you would react to external stimuli. The last time that I visited you you went haywire, and had to be sedated."

My memory of when we last encountered each other was very muted, and I remembered little more than shouting for release, wanting to be taken to a hospital, everything was just so dark.

"Oh..."

With one final clang my binds fell to the floor and PIXAL stood upright once more. "Shall we go now? You are in desperate need of a bath."

Sighing I stood with her, legs shaky after having sat for so long. I stumbled after her as she led me, familiarity of this area becoming apparent when she opened a door and shooed me inside. It was the same bathroom that she had bathed me in once before, having scrubbed my back painfully raw.

"Adjust the water temperature to your specifications." She ordered. "I recall I made it too hot last time."

Nodding I moved to the bathtub, reaching for the faucets and turning them accordingly. Feeling the water with my fingers I continued to make adjustments, then stopping the drain when the temperature was optimal and shutting the water off when the tub was full.

"Strip down." She said plainly. "You cannot be bathed in clothing.

I flushed heatedly, glancing at her. "I am capable of bathing myself..."

She sighed, seeming irritated. "I am not allowed to leave you be. Cyrus does not want you to escape and so I must guard you."

I began to peel my clothing from myself, covering myself self consciously and climbing into the tub.

"You...you act like you do not know me." I stated, gathering a sponge and a bar of soap. "Are you being watched? Must we be conscious?"

She looked at me as if she were confused. "I do not understand what you are talking about. What need gave we to be conscious of anything?"

I shifted closer to the edge of the tub, closer to her. "PIXAL is Cyrus watching us?"

I reached out and touched her arm, patting it reassuringly but she reared it back immediately, striking me firmly with the back of her hand.

"D-do not touch me!" She shouted, eyes wide and wild with fright. "You are dangerous, I do not want you to come near me!"

I felt my teeth cut deep into my cheek as the blow landed solidly, and my head flew sideways with the force of the blow. I was not deterred however, to see her her reasoning.

I spat a bit of blood into the tub, leaning close to her once more. "PIXAL. Is that what he told you?" I reached out again, lightly touching her arm. "I am not going to-"

She slapped my hand away, this time a little less forcefully. "D-don't hurt me. Stay away!"

"PIXAL..." I had to think, Cyrus did something to her to make her act like this, I knew, but I knew that I could break it somehow.

"PIXAL...I couldn't hurt you even if I desired to." I began, frowning. "You...you are an android, built to have far more strength than I. I am only human, enhanced with technology...e-even so..." This time when I touched her, she did not flinch away. "If I was able, I still would not bring you harm." I smiled then, weakly, in pain, but it was a smile. "You...you are the kindest being here, to me at the very least. And I desire your companionship, not your downfall."

Still fearful, but perhaps a little less so, she outstretched a hand to me, brushing her cool metal fingertips over the cheek that she had slapped so firmly.

"I bruised you..." She said, shying away from she shamefully. "I am sorry."

"Do not apologize." I reassured. "You were frightened. I will not convict you for fear."

"I..." She shook her head, appearing frustrated or confused. "I do not remember...you clearly...but...but I know...some things..."

"Like what?" I queried, sitting back, not wanting to make her even more uncomfortable.

"I remember...your name. Zane Julien...but Cyrus had reminded me of recently...and...and I remember...I promised you something..."

"To take me to see my father." I whispered, just in case Cyrus was listening. "I remember."

She nodded. "Yes, I do too...somewhat...but I cannot now. We must wait. Just a little longer." She glanced at me. "Perhaps in this time...I will regain more of my memories."

"Yes. I hope so." I agreed.

"Now..." She rejoined after a pause. "Bathe yourself. Cyrus gave me a specific time allotted for your cleansing session before I have to return you."

"Y-yes ma'am."

And I did bathe myself, the blood and filth that had collected on my body in the course of the three months I had been bound sloughing off, leaving me feeling so refreshed.

"PIXAL?"

"Yes, Zane?"

"Perhaps when you chain be back up...it could not be so tightly?"

She glanced about the room, probably as paranoid as I. "I...I will try my best to make you comfortable."

I stood and exited the tub, she handing me a towel and some clean hospital gown-like clothes. "Thank you." I said graciously.

"You are welcome." She replied, keeping eye contact to a minimum as she led me back to my hellacious prison chamber, weighing me down in chains and left me alone once more in the dark.


	10. Chapter 9

Julien

I was not really driven so mad, more so driven to frustration and anger, not to mention worry.

I'd been chained in this room for a very long time, hands not bound, I merely weighed down by the feet so I could not run out of the room when the door was opened.

I was worried because I had not seen my son since I had arrived, and I had not seen Elena in the expanse of a few months, three? Four maybe? The darkness in the room was deafening my abilities to tell time. There were no windows, and Cyrus had taken my watch from me, leaving me completely clueless as to how long is been locked away.

It could have been months...it could have been days.

I knew it had to be some form of careful torture.

I squinted against the painful white light as the door to my room creaked loudly open, hearing a thud and a small cry as someone was tossed in to join me.

It did not take long for my eyes to adjust, and when they did I looked to see my daughter Elena, after so so long, being bound beside me by a man I had seen only once before.

She was crying.

"Elen?" I called, moving closer to her. "Sweetie?"

She stared fearfully in the direction of my voice, reaching out with a feeble hand. "Daddy?"

I grabbed her outstretched hand and pulled her into an embrace, rocking her comfortingly. "It's alright." I cooed, trying to soothe her. "It's okay, dear I'm here."

I glared angrily at the scientist who had taken us. "What did you do to her!?" I shouted, wanting so badly to tear him limb from limb. Oh if I was not wearing these chains...

"Professor Julien, please do stay calm. She is merely in hysterics." He smiled at me, making me sick. "I took her to see her brother, your son and she got so worried and broke down into an awful fit."

The inventor shook his head. "Every time I take her anywhere near her brother she gets upset like this, and I can have her disturbing my other patients or coworkers. I am afraid I will have to stow her with you once more. She can not handle being out of the cell"

I hated how he used the word "stow". It was as if we're were merely possessions of his that he was sick of looking at.

"Don't think I don't realize what you are doing!" I shouted. "She comes back in worse and worse conditions and it's because YOU are messing with her mind!"

Cyrus clicked his tongue. "Oh...dear Henry..."

"No!" I screamed. "Be quiet! I don't know how you are harming her, or why, but I know you are!"

The inventor sighed. "Henry now...which that attitude you realize you will never be allowed out of here...?"

Elena leaned heavily into my chest, sleeping now. She had cried herself into unconsciousness and I was left to seethe angrily at the devil in a wheelchair.

"You're a monster..." I spat, grinding my teeth. "And you won't get away with this forever..."

He smiled. "Hate to disappoint you Henry...but I've been getting away with it for years." He leaned forward. "My secret is...I make sure no one is left free to tell..."

He turned around, making his way from the cell. "I don't want to hurt either of you..." He said. "But if necessary...I will use force."

And thus we were alone again, frightened and angry, in the dark.


End file.
